As The Door Closes
by TheMinxy6
Summary: She knew how she’d got here- she’d willed it would happen, but she feared she’d never see her again once she closed that link, she wanted to say good bye; she wanted to tell her she was sorry.


**Discalimer: **I own nothing. Nooo.

**A/N: **Hey everyone, thought I'd go a little off-piste from _Major Tommy_ for tonight and write a little one shot that I came up with months ago. It's a Monday, why not go a little crazy?! I guess this would be a series 3 event.

I'd like to thank Doctor Who for the inspiration behind this one shot.

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**As The Door Closes**

"Hello?" her voice echoed, as she peered down the long grey corridor.

She could feel herself breathing as she slowly tiptoed along the long expanse of stone coloured floor, hearing the slight sigh of her footsteps pressing gently across the ground.

She knew how she'd got here- she'd willed it would happen, but she feared she'd never see her again once she closed that link, she wanted to say good bye; she wanted to tell her she was sorry.

*****

Alex sat alone in the interview room, thoughts charging around her head as she wiped a tear from her eye. Gene and everyone else was long gone to Luigi's; Gene had given her a strange look when she said that she was fine, and that she'd be down at Luigi's soon- the truth was, she just wanted a little time alone.

She let her head drop down to the table, letting the cool surface calm her as she breathed heavily. She knew it was over, whatever chance she had getting home was over, she didn't know what it was, but she felt a gap in her heart- a chilling emptiness making itself more aware than ever. The disappearance of all messages from the future had frightened her, and she'd felt more alone than ever.

After she'd recovered from her bullet wound, Gene's attitude around her had completely changed. At first, he'd been distant and aloof, keeping her away from him once he'd apologised to her at her bedside- his face an unreadable mask of shame. But when she'd persistently tried to gain his trust back, to make him drop his barriers again, he was with her more than ever, determined never to let her get hurt- never letting her out of his sight in fear she may just vanish.

And even though it had been nearly two years since she'd seen last seen her daughter, the pain still burned on. What wouldn't she give to speak to her one last time, to let her know that she would always love her, wherever she was?

*****

She pushed open the double doors, the lights suddenly flaring into life, smiling to herself as she took in the chaos of the room- desks piled high with paper, as she slowly turned on the spot in the centre of the room, admiring the black and white ceiling.

"So this is where you've been hiding." she whispered.

She let her gaze drop, gasping lightly as she read the name printed on the glass door on the other side of the room, walking tentatively over to it, she let her fingers trace gently over the gold letters.

She could feel herself welling up, the surprise evident in her voice, yet the predictably of it made her let out a shaky laugh, "D.C.I. Gene Hunt."

******

Alex knew she should leave, she'd sat by herself for far too long contemplating her situation-something she'd done a thousand times- torn between two worlds, two people- something which would never be fully resolved even if she wished upon every star in the sky.

She got up, opening the door as she relished the silence of the station, almost as if no human had ever walked its floors.

She sighed heavily, moving towards the inner sanctum of CID, pausing at the doors as she observed the figure standing by Gene's office, facing away.

She slowly pushed open the doors, taking two quiet steps inside, the girl jumping at the sound of the door swinging shut as she turned round, eyes locking.

Alex felt her heart stop, everything that she'd come to believe about this world and how it worked shattered the second she met that girl's eyes- she knew it was her.

"Mum?" the girl whispered, her eyes shining.

"M-Molly?" Alex replied, shaking her head in disbelief.

Alex stood there, her whole body immobilised as she took a steady gulp, staring at her daughter. It was Molly, it was _her _Molly, yet one she had never seen before.

She was older- at least 17 or 18 years old- her hair had grown longer into thick wavy locks, her blue eyes framed in darkened eyelashes, her tall, slim legs dressed in skinny jeans and a golden heart locket hanging in the V-neck of her coral coloured t-shirt.

"I knew I'd find you." Molly said, a teary smile gracing her face.

"Molly I-" Alex whispered, slowly moving towards her.

Molly's face changed, utterly scared as she took a step back, "Mum. . .you. . .you can't touch me." she said, gulping as she looked at her feet.

"What?" Alex whispered, tears slowly creeping down her own cheek.

"I'm not. . .fully here." Molly replied, meeting her mother's eyes. "I'm dreaming this whole thing mum- I'm sleeping by your bed, in 2013, holding onto your hand. You're dying mum. . . and I'm using the last bit of life you have to get to you, to say good bye."

Alex felt her lip quiver slightly, watching as her daughter tried to blink back tears, "When you got to this world, time was always going to be askew. For you. . .it's still 2008, but you're so close to death now-"

Molly let out a sob, covering a hand over her mouth, her shoulders hunching slightly as her head dropped forwards, she tried to compose herself, a hand resting across her chest in an attempt to steady her breathing, "When I wake up, they're turning your life support machine off. Your brain activity is steadily decreasing. . .I'm going to university next term, and Evan thinks I need a fresh start. . .we have to let each other go."

Alex felt more tears slip down her cheek, feeling helpless as she internally begged to hold the daughter that she had missed so desperately- she was standing there, right in front of her. . .yet in reality she was 30 years away.

"I just. . .can't believe it's really you. . .after all this time." Alex whispered.

"It's me mum." Molly smiled sadly, turning her cheek and pointing to her distinctive birth mark that was concealed by a light layer of foundation.

Molly sniffed, wiping yet more tears, "After my 12th birthday, I spent every single day by your bedside in hospital, holding your hand and talking to you. There were so many times that I was convinced you were going to wake up. I'd be there straight after school , spending hours telling you about my day, my friends and my favourite lessons, hoping somewhere you could hear me."

"Some things I did hear Molls, little things seeping through from the future when I was _convinced _I was going to wake up. Then one day it all stopped, and I nearly gave up on all hope of seeing you again."

"So then _I had _to come all this way to find you." Molly said, both of them letting out a little teary laugh, sniffing back tears.

There was a pause, a few seconds where time seemed to float around them as the two women studied each other's faces, one still not quite believing that the other was there.

"How long can you stay?" Alex asked, not attempting to hide the slight desperation in her voice.

Molly shook her head sadly, "Not long, but I will stay for as long as I can."

*****

"So, what's his name then?" Alex said coyly, perching on the edge of her desk.

"Tucker." Molly said as she sat on a chair nearby, rolling her eyes.

"Tucker?!" Alex exclaimed, her eyes widening, "I thought he was nasty to you?"

"He was for a while- turns out hate can disguise a lot of other emotions." she said with a lopsided smile, "Turns out he really liked me, and the day after he told me that "you were dead", we had to spend an entire lunch time in a room together until he apologised- he did. He said he was sorry, and explained to me that he'd been through the same thing when his dad fell down the stairs three years ago and never woke up from his coma. From that point on- he's been my everything."

"You think it'll last?" Alex smiled softly.

"I hope so," she said, her eyes drifting slightly, "I don't know what I'd do without him. I watched Forrest Gump a while ago- I feel like we're Forrest and Jenny- just meant to be together through from the very start until we finally reach the very end."

Alex felt her heart swell, praying that Molly would always be happy, and that she could have everything she ever wanted in life.

"I'm doing psychology at university too you know." she said proudly, "I was going to go to Oxford, but I'm going to Sheffield instead." her voice suddenly quietened as she studied her hands, "Tucker's going to Manchester. . . I couldn't bare the thought of being too far away from him. I know I should never compromise anything for a boy, for anyone. But I'm happy, and I know I'm going to have a fantastic time."

Alex felt her smile grow bigger as she thought about Gene, "To be honest Molls, I can't talk. There's someone here Molly, in 1983, who I. . . I've fallen in love with. . .and I always had that niggling doubt in the back of my mind that getting closer to him would pull me away from you- that I might be compromising my root home by admitting my feelings."

"You can't help who you fall in love with mum." she smiled back, "As long as you're happy here, I'm happy. You've been given a second chance at life, so you've got to grab the bull by the horns. Just promise me one thing?"

"Anything." Alex replied simply.

"You have to tell him."

"What?" Alex said.

"That you love him." she said, nodding towards Gene's door.

Alex turned her head to where Molly had been gesturing, seeing "D.C.I. Gene Hunt", written across the glass, sighing almost dreamily.

"You'd have loved him Molly, I always wanted you to meet him."

"If you love him mum, then he must be a brilliant man. I'm planning on writing about him you know."

"Really?" Alex said.

"Yeah, when I graduate, I'm picking up "the book" where you left it off, finishing off Sam Tyler's section, and onto your world."

Alex felt herself welling up again, "How did you know it? That I'd be here?"

Molly showed off her best lop sided grin, tucking her hair behind her ears, "The first time you said "Gene" in your coma, I remembered the file I'd read the day you were shot, and knew for certain that you were with him- and from what Sam Tyler had written- I knew you'd always be safe."

"There've been a couple of bumps along the way- me and Gene haven't always seen eye to eye. But he makes me feel alive, more alive than I fear I ever was in 2008, and I'm sorry for that Molly."

"You should have no regrets about your life with me mum. I will always be proud to have you as my mother, and I can't wait to one day tell my grand children about what a wonderful mother, police officer and human being you were." Molly smiled, tucking a knee up on the chair.

Alex looked at Molly, the sincerity of her voice warming her entire being, "I just can't believe how grown up you are; how beautiful you are Molls. Tucker is a lucky guy."

Molly grinned shyly, looking at the floor, "Gene will be lucky to have you too, honestly mum- you can seriously pull off the 80s style!" she laughed.

"You wouldn't have thought it would you? All that grey and black I used to wear." Alex grinned back.

"I'm just glad to see that you're happy mum," Molly said, "I can live the rest of my life knowing that somewhere you're just as happy as I am."

"I promise I'll never stop thinking about you Molls, never ever."

Molly's eyes sparkled, the love in her eyes evident as she steadily stood up, facing her mother boldly.

"It's time mum, I have to leave now, will you walk with me?" Molly asked earnestly.

Alex nodded softly, slowly walking through the double doors and a little way down the corridor in a silence that gave them a chance to relish the moment.

"I have to leave now mum." Molly whispered, holding back tears. "I-I. . .I love you."

Alex felt her eyes blur, the tears in her eyes steadily forming as the dawning realisation of never seeing her daughter again hit her. "I love you too Molls- forever and always."

Molly studied her mother's face one final time, as if taking a mental photograph, as she started to walk down the corridor into the steadily forming pool of glittering silver light.

"Molly?" Alex called, her voice echoing.

Molly turned, waiting for her mother to speak.

But she didn't, as Alex gently kissed her fingertips and blew them to Molly.

She smiled in remembrance, jumping up to catch it as she clutched it close to her chest, closing her eyes to savour it, the silvery light steadily engulfing her body.

The light was blindingly bright, as Alex used her hand to shield the brilliant rays, the whispers and sounds from the future resounding around her head like forgotten memories, until they seeped away into nothing.

*****

_"Gene?"_

_"You ok Bolls?"_

_"Yes I'm fine, there's just. . . something I need to tell you. . ."_

_

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**A/N:** Hope you liked it- thought it was something a bit different! ;)


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